What does the law say with respect to juveniles?
Commitment criteria for juveniles are essentially the same as for adults. The “At Risk Youth/Runaway Bill” of 1995 amended the juvenile detention statute. The amendments did not change DMHP authority to legally detain minors but it did change the age of consent for treatment to age 18. This means parents can sign a child, through age 17, into a hospital without the child’s consent. The law does not require a hospital to accept the child, however, nor does it guarantee payment.
